FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE  LIBRARY 

PHILADELPHIA 
CIass..<$.  Book.(2ai.3..^.  Accession.. S^.^Z..-^.. 6 

REFERENCE 

Given  by  ... 


Copyright  1901,  by 
The  American  Fireproofing  and 
Construction  Co. 

new  YORK. 


ISAAC  H.  BLANCHARD  CO. 
Printers  and  Binders 
268-270  Canal  St. 
New  York 


•  MARK ' 


The  American  Fireproofing 
AND  Cement  Construction  Co. 

St.  James  Building, 

1 1 35  Broadway,  New  York. 


TH 

'oS'i 


LIST  OF  U,  S.  PATENTS  of  ALPHONSE  DeMAN,  Inventor 


No.  603,130,  dated  April  26th,  1898, 

Fire  resisting  wooden  stairs. 

No.  693,442,  dated  May  3d,  1898, 

Fire  resisting  frames  and  doors. 

No.  606,988,  dated  July  Sth,  1898, 

Fire-proof  Constructions. 

No.  607,223,  dated  July  12th,  1898, 
Artificial  slabs. 

No.  607,224,  dated  July  12th,  1898, 

Fire-proof  floor  constructions. 

No.  609,795,  dated  A  ugust  30t^-,  189.% 

Fire-proof  structures. 

No.  6x0,435,  dated  wSeptonber  6th,  1893, 

Fire-proofing  and  deafening  for 
frame  structures. 

No.  625,544,  dated  May  23d,  1899, 

Fire-proof  floor  and  ceiling  con- 
structions. 

No.  639,961,  dated  December  26th,  1899, 

Joints  for  structural  building 
members. 


OTHER  PATENTS  PENDING. 


'^J^HE  American  Fireproofing  and 
Cement  Construction  Company, 
incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  was  organized 
to  develop  in  the  East  the  several 
branches  of  the  De  Man  System 
of  fire  proofing  and  concrete  con- 
struction, which  has  been  used 
for  the  past  few  years  in  some 
important  structures  in  the  West. 

This  system  is  the  result  of  a  life  study  of  the  prob- 
lem of  fireproofing,  and  also  of  the  re-enforcing  of 
concrete.  All  of  its  improvements  are  not  only  based 
upon  sound  theoretical  data,  but  were  submitted  to 
practical  tests  as  to  fireproof  quaUties,  strains  under 
loads,  resistance  to  weather,  frost,  etc.  These  tests 
have  been  going  on  for  years.  The  system  has  subse- 


quently  been  adopted  in  some  large  structures  in  the 
West,  with  complete  success. 

Fireproof  constructions  can  be  divided  into  two 
classes: 

THE  FIRST,  which  we  will  call  the  complete  fire- 
proof construction,  in  which  non-combustible  ma- 
terials are  used  exclusively. 

THE  SECOND,  called  semi-fireproof  construction 
because  some  combustible  materials  entering  the 
structure  are  rendered  slow  burning  by  certain  meth- 
ods of  construction  and  by  the  use  of  some  pro- 
tective substances. 

Class  1 — Complete  Fireproof  Construction. 

It  can  be  stated  that  absolute  fireproof  buildings  do 
not  exist,  but  their  resistance  to  fire  depends  on  the 
intensity  and  duration  of  the  action  of  the  heat  and 
on  the  materials  of  which  the  building  is  made  up; 
on  the  layout  and  insulation  of  certain  parts,  such  as 
elevator  shafts,  stairs,  etc.,  and  on  the  protection  of 
metal  columns  and  beams  and  adoption  of  fire-walls 
with  protected  openings  in  them,  which  are  features  of 
great  importance. 

The  best  method  of  protecting  metal  is  to  embed 
it  entirely  in  concrete,  which  not  only  protects  it 
against  heat  and  water  in  case  of  fire,  but  also  pro- 
tects the  metal  from  rusting.   It  is  a  known  fact  that 

8-— The  DeMan  System  of 


concrete  has  preserved  iron  anchors  from  rusting  in 
structures  exposed  to  outdoor  cHmatic  influences  for 
centuries. 

Concrete  is  the  name  given  to  artificial  stone  made 
up  of  an  aggregate  of  broken  stone  or  coarse  gravel 
or  broken  brick  or  pottery,  and  sometimes  furnace- 
slag,  gravel  or  cinders,  united  by  a  mortar  composed 
of  sand  and  cement,  forming  a  binding  material  suffi- 
cient to  fill  up  the  voids  between  the  aggregate.  The 
proper  proportions  for  wall  or  pier  work  are  i  part 
cement,  2  parts  sand,  and  6  parts  aggregate — either 
stone  or  brick.  For  suspended  floor  work,  I  part 
cement,  2  parts  sand,  and  4  parts  aggregate — either 
stone  or  brick.  For  absolute  fireproof  work,  Port- 
land cement  should  be  used  in  connection  with  any 
fireproof  aggregate,  such  as  brick,  furnace  slag,  or, 
preferably,  cinders,  on  account  of  its  light  weight. 

Concrete  has  been  used  from  time  immemo- 
rial; numerous  Roman  constructions  standing  to- 
day testify  as  to  its  lasting  qualities.  In  all  of  these 
constructions,  however,  the  material  was  used  so  that 
it  only  had  to  resit  compression  stresses,  as  in  walls, 
piers  and  arches.  Of  late  years  concrete  has  been 
used  in  constructions  where  it  had  to  sustain  both 
compression  and  tensile  stresses,  as  in  a  beam  or  a 
supported  floor  slab.  In  such  cases  the  material  of 
the  beam  or  the  floor  slab  is  subjected  to  compression 
Fireproof  Construction.— 9 


on  the  upper  part  and  to  tension  at  the  bottom  part. 

The  resistance  of  concrete  to  compression  is  very 
great  and  amply  sufficient  to  withstand  the  most  se- 
vere stresses  to  which  it  is  ever  subjected  in  ordinary 


Fig.  I. 


(Diagram  showing  by  arrows  the  direction  of  the  upper 
compression  stresses  and  the  lower  tensile  stresses.  The 
intermediate  plane  between  the  two  is  called  the  neutral 
plane  where  the  materials  are  not  subjected  either  to 
compression  or  tensile  stresses.) 

constructions,  but  its  resistance  to  tension  is  very 
small.  One  of  the  greatest  improvements  in  modern 
construction  has  had  for  object  to  increase  the  tensile 
strength  of  concrete  by  introducing  steel  tension 
members  in  the  lower  portion  of  its  mass.  This 
forms  what  is  known  as  reinforced  concrete,  which  is 
practically  a  new  building  material. 

Tension  members  should  be  made  of  steel  on  ac- 
count of  its  great  strength. 

The  essential  condition  is  that  there  be  complete 
unity  of  action  between  every  part  of  the  steel  tension 
members  and  the  enveloping  concrete  mass.  Al- 
though concrete  adheres  well  to  a  steel  surface,  the 
adhesion  is  insufficient  to  resist  the  great  stresses 

10 — The  DeMan  System  of 


which  are  developed  at  the  surface  of  the  tension 
members.  The  tendency  of  tensile  stress  upon  a 
metal  bar  is  to  elongate  it,  which  of  necessity  causes 
a  slight  motion  of  its  surface,  destroying  the  former 
absolute  contact  of  its  molecules  with  the  surround- 
ing concrete.  It  then  no  longer  transmits  the  stresses 
to  the  concrete  and  becomes  merely  a  suspen- 
sion member,  elongating  throughout  the  span,  and 
causing  a  corresponding  sag.  It  entirely  fails  in  its 
function  and  ceases  to  reinforce  the  concrete.  This 
is  found  to  be  the  invariable  result  whenever  wire, 
or  rods,  or  bars  of  any  uniform  section  are  used  for 
this  purpose.  Their  ductility  permits  elongation;  ulti- 
mately the  adhesion  is  overcome  and  from  that  very 
moment  they  become  useless  as  tension  members.  It 
has  been  found,  therefore,  that  to  effectively  and  per- 
manently reinforce  concrete  by  metal  tension  mem- 
bers those  members  must  be  of  such  special  shape  as- 
to  form  locking  shoulders  suited  to  engage  firmly  with 
the  concrete  and  to  diffuse  the  stresses  throughout 
the  mass,  without  relying  on  adhesion  as  the  means 
of  transmission. 

Some  inventors  have  attempted  to  remedy  the  de- 
fects set  forth  above  as  resulting  from  uniform  sec- 
tion, by  drilling  holes  in  flat  bars  and  putting  cross 
rods  or  dowels  through  them,  but  this  method  adds 
greatly  to  the  cost  and  reduces  the  strength  of  the 
Fireproof  Construction. — ii 


tension  member  by  the  amount  of  metal  taken  out 
for  the  perforation.  Moreover,  the  metal  of  the  cross 
rods  or  dowels  does  not  increase  the  tensile  strength 
of  the  slab,  as  the  line  of  tensile  stress  is  at  right 
angles  to  their  axis  and  those  of  the  beams.  It  is 
obvious  that  members  parallel  with  the  beams  are 
not  in  the  line  of  stress  and  cannot  give  additional 
tensile  strength  to  the  floor  slab.  This  applies  also  to 
those  wires  in  wire  netting  occupying  a  parallel  posi- 
tion with  the  supporting  beams.  Generally  speaking, 
it  can  be  stated  that  in  each  case  where  metal  ties  or 
ribs  are  used  to  reinforce  concrete,  as  soon  as  their 
direction  is  deviating  from  the  Hne  of  stress,  their  use- 
fulness decreases  in  proportion  to  this  deviation. 

The  tension  member  in  the  De  Man  system  is  a 
flat  bar  (shown  at  A  in  Figs.  2,  3  and  4)  with  twists  (B) 
at  short  intervals,  from  2"  to  4"  apart,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  bars,  which  varies  from  ^i^" 
to  in  thickness  and  from  to  V  in  wddth, 
according  to  the  stresses  which  they  have  to  resist. 

These  twists  present  bold  anchoring  shoulders  and 
for  a  given  quantity  of  metal  have  a  larger  sphere 
of  action  than  any  other  device;  the  reaction  of  the 
concrete  should  extend  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
lower  surface  of  a  floor  slab,  as  that  is  the  part  where 
the  tensile  strains  are  the  highest. 

A  cross  section  of  a  floor  slab,  with  the  tension 

12 — The  DeMan  System  of 


Fig.  2. 

Strengthening  member  (A)  with  anchor  twist  (B)  at  90°. 


Section  through  a  floor  slab  at  right  angle  to  the  supporting 
beams  and  parallel  with  tension  member. 


Fig.  4. 

bection  through  a  floor  slab  parallel  with  the  supporting  beams 
and  across  the  tension  member. 

Fireproof  Construction. — 13 


member  in  place,  shows  that  the  axis  of  the  member, 
owing  to  its  flat  shape  and  vertical  position,  is  further 
removed  from  the  lower  surface  of  the  slab  than  pos- 
sible in  any  other  form;  consequently  a  flat  tension 
member  is  better  protected  in  case  of  fire  than  any 
other. 


Fig.  5. 

Section  through  a  floor  slab  parallel  with  the  tension  members 
(A),  showing  how  they  are  connected  to  the  top  flange  of 
the  floor  beam  and  hooked  over  them  at  h.  B  shows  the 
twists  in  the  tension  member,  which  generally  are  at  4" 
center  to  center. 

The  natural  cohesion  of  concrete  is  great  and  is  of 
itself  abundantly  sufficient  to  support  the  stresses  on 
lines  parallel  to  the  floor  beam,  for  this  reason  there  is 
no  need  of  reinforcing  concrete  by  tension  members 
running  in  that  direction,  as  is  erroneously  done  in 
some  systems. 

The  diagram  shows  the  position  of  the  tension 
members.   They  can  be  spaced  closely  or  widely,  ac- 

14 — The  DeMan  System  of 


cording  to  the  loads  to  be  carried,  and  as  they  are 
parallel  with  the  line  of  stress,  they  use  to  advantage 
the  full  tensile  strength  of  the  metal. 


Fig.  6. 

Showing  two  floor  beams  in  the  ordinary  position  which  they  • 
usually  occupy.    The  DeMan  system  can  be  applied  to 
any  ordinary  spacing  of  beams.  No  tie  rods  are  necessary, 
as  the  tension  members  take  their  place. 

For  ordinary  floor  construction  the  usual  size  of 
steel  for  tension  members  is  or  ^xf  inches;  the 

spacing  of  the  tension  members  varies  from  2"  to  12" 
center,  according  to  the  loads  per  square  foot  v^hich 
the  floor  has  to  carry. 

The  following  table  gives  the  necessary  thickness 
of  slab  and  number  of  tension  members  per  foot  for 
given  spans  and  loads. 

As  previously  stated,  the  tension  members  in  an  or- 
dinary floor  slab  should  run  in  the  same  direction  as 
the  lines  of  stresses,  i.  (?.,at  right  angles  with  the  beams 
Fireproof  Construction.— 17 


Table  of  Loads  and  Spans  for  Solid  Concrete 
Floor  Slab. 


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1 8— The  DeMan  System  of 


Formula  used  in  Computing  Tables: 

-»  d 

w  d  (a-f  c-f  2  )+3o  (area  bar  sections)  c 


w  d  +30  (area  bar  sections) 


-f^  (Ii)  +  30  I.) 
I,==(^H-wdh^)  =3^05.(1^-^^1^ +30  I,) 

I3=:!?L^+Wdh«  ^  3P 


K,=3oK, 


All  dimensions  in  inches  except  span  length. 

X  =co-ordinate  of  center  of  gravity  of  composite  section, 
a  =distance  from  bottom  of  composite  section  to  centre  of  steel  section, 
w  =width  of  beam  concrete  used  m  computations=i2  inches, 
d  =depth  of  concrete  considered  in  computations, 
c  =distance  of  bar  centers  above  bottom  face  of  beam. 
Ei=co-efficient  of  elasticity  for  concrete:  Ea_ 
E,=co-efflcient  of  elasticity  for  steel:  Ei 

M  =bending  moment  in  inch  lbs.  which  section  of  beam  12  inches  wide  can 
resist. 

K,  =maximum  intensity  of  stress  in  concrete  (comp.  500  lbs.  per  sq.  in.) 
K2  =maximum  intensity  of  stress  in  steel      (      20,000  lbs.  per  sq.  in.) 

di  =distancc  from  c.  g.  to  most  remote  concrete  fibre. 

d  =distance  fromc.     to  most  remote  steel  fibre. 

1  =moment  of  inertia  of  concrete  section,  about  horizontal  axis  through 
c.  g. 

Ia=moment  of  inertia  of  steel  section,  about  horizontal  axis  through  c.  g. 
p  =uniform  load  per  sq.  ft.  which  beam  may  carry. 
1  =span  length  in  feet. 
Tension  concrete  not  considered  in  computations. 
N  =Numberof  Bars. 
E  3=30,000,000. 
E  1=1,000,000. 

or  supports,  and  the  use  of  steel  members  in  a  floor 
slab  along  lines  parallel  with  the  beams  is  only  a  waste 
of  material.  There  are,  however,  exceptional  condi- 
tions in  which  it  may  be  well  to  use  tension  mem- 
bers in  tw^o  directions  at  right  angles: — for  instance: 
A  floor  slab  for  a  square  room  with  supports  on  the 
four  sides;  or,  in  cases  where  the  floor  beams  are 
more  than  8' — o"  apart  it  is  also  advisable  to  put  cross 
tension  members  at  every  four  feet  of  space  to  act  as 
ties;  again,  whenever  hydrostatic  pressures  are  in- 
volved, such  as  in  water  reservoirs,  grain  bins,  etc.,  it 
will  be  advisable  to  run  tension  members  at  right  an- 
gles to  each  other.  See  diagram,  Fig.  7,  showing  the 
Fireproof  Construction.— 19 


arrangement  of  tension  members  at  right  angles  to 
each  other,  forming  the  skeleton  for  the  concrete  body 
of  a  water  reservoir. 


Fig.  7. 


The  De  Man  system  is  applied  in  two  forms:  the 
monolith  and  the  sectional. 

Monolith  Floor  Construction. 

The  floors  of  a  building  are  the  most  important 
part  to  be  considered  in  connection  with  fireproof  con- 
struction. The  common  brick  arch  and  the  flat  arch 
in  porous  terra-cotta  were  first  used,  but  their  ex- 
cessive weight  is  objectionable,  and  they  are  now  re- 
placed by  cinder  concrete  arches  or  by  the  still  more 
modern  flat  floor  slab  of  reinforced  cinder  concrete. 

As  stated  before,  the  light  weight  and  the  good 
fire-and-water  resisting  qualities  of  the  Portland  Ce- 

20— The  DeMan  System  of 


Showing  a  floor  slab  3'  x  6'  x  3"  thick  carrying  a  load  of  14,000 
lbs.  of  pig  iron.    Cinder  concrete  with  tension 
members  at  6"  centres. 


DeMan  floor  construction  in  Bicycle  Shelter,  Belle  Isle  Park, 
Detroit,  Mich. 


Tivoli  Brewery  at   Detroit,  Mich.,  showing  DeMan's  floor 
construction  carrying  fermenting  tanks  8'  x  14'. 


ment  Cinder  Concrete  make  it  a  most  desirable  building 
material.  Although  it  is  of  comparatively  recent 
adoption,  its  excellence  as  a  fireproof  material  is  now 
generally  recognized. 

Monolithic  Arch  Foors* 

This  construction  can  only  be  used  when  the  spans 
between  the  floor  beams  are  comparatively  small, 
moreover,  the  same  as  all  arches  do,  it  causes  a  great 
lateral  thrust  on  the  beams  and  it  requires  also  some 
tension  members  put  crosswise  of  the  floor  beams, 
which,  in  this   case,  act  as  tie  rods.    The  cov- 


FiG.  8. 

ering  of  the  lower  flange  of  beams  can  be  left 
off  where  fireproofing  is  not  essential,  thereby  reduc- 
ing the  cost.  The  top  can  be  surfaced  with  cement 
or  asphalt.  The  heavy  weight  and  the  necessary  nar- 
row spacing  of  floor  beams  make  this  method  rather 
obsolete.  (Fig.  8  shows  this  construction  in  section.) 
Fireproof  Con  struction  .  —2  3 


Monolithic  Flat  Floor  Slab  in  Reinforced 
Concrete,  Supported  by  Steel  Beams. 

This  construction  is  suitable  for  wide  spans  be- 
tween the  floor  beams.   It  is  composed  of  a  concrete 


Fig.  9. 

Reinforced  concrete  slab,  with  cement  or  asphalt  top  surfacing 
and  unprotected  beams,  suitable  for  breweries  or  for 
buildings  where  fireproofing  is  unnecessary. 

slab,  reinforced  with  the  De  Man  patent  steel  tension 
member,  twists  4"  centers.    Figs.  9,  10,  11, 

and  12  give  four  applications  of  this  construction. 

24— The  DeMan  System  of 


Fig  10. 

Reinforced  concrete  slab,  with  protected  beams  and  wood 
floors  on  sleepers,  suitable  for  storage  warehouses  and  for 
buildings  where  fireproofing  is  desirable. 


Fig.  II. 

Reinforced  concrete  floor  slab,  protected  floor  beams,  plaster 
ceiling  on  metal  furring  and  lath ;  suitable  for  dwelling  and 
other  private  buildings. 


Fireproof  Construction.— 2$ 


Fig.  12. 

Reinforced  cencrete  floor  slab,  protected  beams  with  sectional 
blocks  for  lower  flange  and  reinforced  ceiling  slab ;  suitable 
for  public  buildings. 


The  tension  members  of  ceiling  slab  lay  on  lower  flanges  of 
I-beams;  spacing  of  tension  members  in  ceiHng  slab,  12"  ; 
thickness  of  ceHing  slab,  . 

Monolithic  Floor  Construction,  with  Reinforced 
Concrete  Beams  in  Substitution  of  the 
Steel  Floor  Beams. 

A  comparatively  large  space  without  steel  beams 

can  be  floored  with  a  monolith  reinforced  concrete 

floor.    It  will,  however,  be  necessary  to  increase  the 

depth  (which  is  the  distance  from  the  upper  surface 

of  the  floor  to  the  tension  member  in  the  lower  part) 

until  a  proper  proportion  is  obtained  between  the  span 

and  the  depth.    A  good  proportion  between  depth 

and  span  is  obtained  by  adopting  the  ratio  of  five- 

26— The  DeMan  System  of 


eighths  of  an  inch  depth  to  every  foot  of  span.  In 
order  to  avoid  an  unnecessary  waste  of  material  in 
the  lov^er  part  of  such  a  floor  construction,  the  tension 
members  can  be  placed  into  the  bottom  part  of  ribs 
which  are  added  to  the  under  side  of  the  compression 
part  of  the  floor  forming  cross  reinforced  concrete 
beams,  which  gives  a  paneled  ceiling.  However,  steel 
furring  can  be  fastened  to  the  under  side  of  the  con- 
crete beams,  which  can  be  covered  with  metallic  lath 
to  receive  a  coat  of  plaster,  which  gives  a  flat  ceiling. 


Fig.  13. 

Fig.  13  is  a  portion  of  a  floor  construction  with  monolithic 
beams,  showing  a  panneled  ceiling  of  hollow  squares. 

Beamless  Monolithic  Floor  Construction. 

Triplex  Slab. 
In  this  floor  the  ordinary  steel  floor  beam  can  be 

omitted  and  at  the  same  time  large  spaces  can  be 
covered  with  this  kind  of  construction. 

This  floor  is  composed  of  three  parts:  First,  a 
lower  one  of  concrete  just  thick  enough  to  embed  a 
course  of  tension  members,  spaced  closely  or  widely 
Fireproof  Construction. — 27 


according  to  the  loads  the  floor  is  to  carry,  which 
tension  members  are  to  resist  all  the  tension  stresses 
developed  in  the  floor;  a  few  tension  members  should 
be  run  crosswise  of  the  main  ones,  spaced  from  4  to  6 
feet  apart,  running  the  full  length  between  the  end 
supports,  where  they  should  be  anchored,  forming  ties 
between  these  supports.  Second,  an  upper  part  of 
concrete  of  sufficient  thickness  to  resist  the  com- 
pression stresses  developed  in  the  floor.  Third,  a 
middle  part  of  hollow  tile  with  sufflcient  upright  webs 
to  resist  the  shearing  stress  in  the  central  neutral 
plane  of  the  floor;  the  height  of  these  webs,  which 
estabHshes  the  thickness  of  the  hollow  tile,  must  be 
sufficient  to  make  up  the  depth  of  the  floor  after 
taking  out  the  thickness  of  the  lower  and  upper  con- 
crete parts.  The  depth  being  the  distance  from  the 
upper  surface  of  the  floor  to  the  center  of  the  ten- 
sion members  in  the  lower  part  of  the  floor.  The 
three  parts  of  this  floor  should  act  in  unison  as  if 
they  were  all  one.  This  unity  of  action  can  be  secured 
by  doing  the  work  methodically,  as  follows :  On  tem- 
porary forms  commence  to  lay  a  section  of  floor 
taking  in  the  whole  span  of  such  a  width  as  to  permit 
the  laying  up  and  finishing  of  the  three  parts  of  the 
floor  before  the  cement  is  set,  so  that  the  whole  of 
this  working  section  will  knit  together  and  make  a 
monolith  mass.    Similar  sections  will  be  built,  until 

28— The  DeMan  System  of 


the  whole  floor  is  completed,  forming  practically  a 
succession  of  box  girders,  the  blocks  of  hollow  tile 
being  laid  so  as  the  joints  of  one  course  break  with 
those  of  the  adjoining  course,  so  as  to  form  bound. 
The  webs  of  the  tiles  must  run  parallel  with  the  ten- 
sion members,  which  lay  across  the  short  side  of  the 
floor  space.  The  tiles  are  placed,  the  webs  vertically 
and  butting  end  to  end  in  such  a  manner  as  to  have 
all  the  webs  line  up  throughout  the  span,  so  they 


Fig.  14. 

will  transmit  the  stresses  from  the  lower  concrete 
containing  the  tension  members  to  the  upper  con- 
crete, where  the  compression  takes  place.  The  tiles, 
previously  wetted,  are  laid  end  to  end,  surrounded 
and  bedded  in  soft  cement  mortar. 

These  floors  are  directly  supported  by  the  main 
walls,  and  the  tension  members  can  run  in  the  walls 
to  form  anchors,  which  can  easily  be  done  in  case 
the.  floors  are  built  when  the  walls  are  at  their  height. 
Fireproof  Construction, — 29 


Table  of  Loads  and  Spans  for  Triplf-x  Floor  Slab. 


^^^^^^^     j^rjr^  A*  <r<vv<-^^/vr  *y*-*v  <rAS^s 


— 

100 

125 

160 

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4  J 

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4  J 

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4  S  4 

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30— The  DeMan  System  of 


In  case  a  floor  is  to  be  put  in  after  the  walls  are  above 
the  level  of  the  floor,  special  anchors  are  to  be  pro- 
vided to  hold  the  walls. 

Great  spans  can  be  covered  with  this  construction, 
and  because  of  the  air  spaces  in  its  central  section, 
it  gives  a  sound  proof  floor;  it  has  also  the  advantage 
of  giving  a  flat  ceiHng.    See  Fig.  14. 

The  preceding  table  gives  the  depth  of  tile  and  num- 
ber of  tension  members  per  foot  in  width  for  given 
spans  and  loads.  Verify  by  same  formula  as  given 
under  preceding  table. 


Concrete  Protection  for  Columns  and  Beams. 

All  the  preceding  floor  constructions  are  supported 

by  columns  and  beams.    They  should  be  protected 


Fig.  15. 


against  fire.  This  can  be  done  by  forming  around 
them  a  solid  concrete  mass,  in  rectangular  shape,  with 
rounded  angles,  using  removable  false-work  for  that 
Fireproof  Con  struction  .  — 3 1 


purpose;  the  concrete  of  itself  adheres  strongly  to  the 
metal,  but  the  very  shape  of  the  column  will  retain 
the  covering.    See  Fig.  15. 

Monolithic  Concrete  Fireproof ing. 

When  the  beams  of  structures  are  subjected  to 
great  vibrations,  as  those  of  bridges  or  factories,  it 
may  be  well  to  reinforce  the  concrete  protections  to 
prevent  cracking,  using  two  longitudinal  tension 
members  and  some  U  shape  hangers  embedded  at  in- 
tervals in  the  concrete;  around  the  columns  can  also 
be  strengthened  by  tie  strips  put  in  the  concrete  pro- 
tection, as  shown  in  Fig.  15. 

Reinforced  Concrete  for  Supported  SidewalKs 
and  Areas. 

Area  coverings  with  sidewalk  top  finish  can  be  con- 
structed with  reinforced  concrete,  even  the  supporting 
beams  can  be  made  with  this  material,  taking  two 


Fig.  16. 


Reinforced  concrete  sidewalk  slabs.     Reinforced  concrete; 
beams  running  from  retaining  wall  to  the  front  of  building. 

heavy  tension  members  for  the  bottom  of  the  beams 

and  using  the  regular  tension  members  for  the  spans 

between  the  beams.   See  Fig.  16. 

32 — The  DeMan  System  of 


This  form  of  construction  was  used  for  a  large  sub- 
way in  front  of  the  Edison  Hght  plant  in  Detroit,  Mich. 
See  ilkistration  page  41. 


Fig.  17. 

Area  covering.  Supporting  deck  beams  can  be  run  from  the 
retaining  wall  to  the  building,  spaced  from  4'  o"  to  6'  o" 
centers,  then  ordinary  tension  members  spaced  6"  centers  ; 
the  slab  should  be  about  5"  thick  with  i"  cement  top  finish. 

Monolith  Construction  for  Reservoirs,  Aquaria, 
Greenhouse  Benches,  Etc. 

Water  reservoirs  and  tanks  can  conveniently  be  made 
of  reinforced  concrete.  The  best  body  material  for 
this  class  of  work  is  crushed  granite,  the  binding 
material  being  of  Portland  cement  and  sharp  sand,  in 
the  proportions  of  i  part  cement,  2  parts  sand  and  4 
parts  granite.  This  forms  a  good  grouting,  which 
should  be  made  from  2"  to  4"  thick,  according  to  the 
Fireproof  Construction.— 33 


size  of  the  reservoir,  and  reinforced  by  two  courses  of 
tension  members,  running  at  right  angles,  spaced 
about  6"  to  lo"  centers,  according  to  size  of  reservoir. 
The  inside  of  the  reservoir  is  finished  v^ith  a  coat  of 
cement  and  sand,  in  the  proportion  of  i  to  2,  troweled 
to  a  smooth  facing.  If  the  tank  is  to  be  used  for  alkali 
solutions  or  salt  water,  it  is  necessary  to  protect  the 


Fig.  18. 

Showing  a  water  reservoir  with  cross  tension  members. 


tension  members  against  the  corrosive  action  of  these 
liquids,  and  prior  to  being  used  the  tension  members 
should  be  dipped  in  R.  I.  W.  paint.  Whenever  it  is 
desirable  to  prevent  the  absorption  of  water  or  other 
liquids  into  the  mass  of  concrete  forming  the  walls 
of  a  reservoir,  a  coating  of  some  adhesive  waterproof 
material  should  be  put  on  the  inside  walls  of  the  reser- 

34 — The  DeMan  System  of 


voir,  and  to  protect  this  coating  from  injury  a  facing 
of  cement  may  be  spread  over  it. 

Aquarium  Tanks. 

For  the  construction  of  aquarium  tanks,  every  hori- 
zontal tension  member  should  be  bolted  to  a  metal 
frame,  so  as  to  form  a  rigid  skeleton.    Concrete  body 


Open  Top 

Reinforced 
Concrete 
Sides 

Plate 
Glass 
Front 

hetdl  Frame 


Fig.  19. 


made  in  the  general  way  and  coated  and  faced  as 
described  in  the  preceding  paragraphs,  is  also  suitable 
for  this  class  of  v^ork.    See  Fig.  19. 

Greenhouse  Benches. 

Reinforced  concrete  is  a  suitable  material  for  the 
construction  of  greenhouse  benches,  especially  those 
used  in  the  method  of  raising  plants  known  as  ''culti- 
vation by  sub-irrigation,"  in  which  a  constant  amount 
of  water  is  kept  in  the  bottom  of  the  bench. 
Fireproof  Construction. — 35 


Fig.  20. 


This  bench  is  made  of  reinforced  concrete  about 
ij"  thick,  having  two  courses  of  the  De  Man  tension 
members  embedded  in  the  concrete  at  right  angles  to 


Fig.  21. 


each  other.  The  bench  is  supported  by  columns  of 
vitrified  sewer  pipe  put  on  a  concrete  foundation,  and 
filled  with  the  same  material.    If  the  trough  is  fifty 

36— The  DeMan  System  of 


feet  long  it  is  necessary  to  provide  for  the  expansion 
and  contraction  in  the  trough  itself;  this  is  accom- 
plished by  placing  one  or  two  flexible  water-tight 
cross  joints  capable  of  accommodating  the  variations 
in  the  length  of  the  trough. 

The  De  Man  flexible  water-tight  joint  (Fig.  22) 
accompHshes  this  result. 


Fig.  22. 


The  fold  of  this  joint  is  made  of  sheet  metal,  pref- 
erably lead,  the  two  flat  single  wings  being  embedded 
in  two  adjoining  sections  of  the  concrete  trough. 

Roofs  of  Reinforced  Concrete. 

The  following  diagram  shows  the  De  Man  rein- 
forced concrete  roof  construction  and  waterproof  sur- 
facing, with  concrete  protection  covering  and  flexible 
water-tight  joint. 

In  this  construction  the  tension  members  are 
hooked  over  the  top  of  the  roof  beams,  the  top  flange 
of  them  are  bedded  in  the  bottom  of  the  slabs;  the 
whole  beam  can  be  cased  in  with  concrete,  as  shown  in 
preceding  illustrations  of  floor  construction. 

The  advantages  of  this  construction  are  that  it  gives 
a  fireproof  roof,  when  the  slab  is  made  of  cinder  con- 
FiREPROOF  Construction. — 37 


Crete  and  the  roof  beams  protected  by  a  casing  of 
concrete.  The  roof  slab  is  made  non-absorbent  by 
an  adhesive  waterproof  coating.  A  thin  layer  of  pro- 


FiG.  23. 


tective  cement  surfacing  above  it  makes  the  roof  sur- 
face as  durable  as  an  artificial  stone  sidewalk. 

When  monolith  concrete  is  used  in  a  roof  exposed 
to  great  variations  of  temperature  it  is  necessary  to 

Cement  Surhcina 
Waterproof  Coating 

tiSteel  tension  f1emhen$ 

Reinforced  concrete  Skb 

Fig.  23A, 

provide  for  expansion  and  contraction;  besides,  a  fire- 
proof roof  is  generally  supported  by  steel  structural 
framing,  which  is  also  subjected  to  more  or  less  ex- 
pansion and  contraction,  which  cause  some  movement 
in  the  surface  of  the  roof. 

38— The  DeMan  System  of 


Section     A  B 


Detroit  Free  Press.— DeMan  system  of  floor  construction  used  in 
Pressroom. 


The  DeMan  flexible  water-tight  joint,  before  de- 
scribed, serves  that  purpose.  It  is  only  necessary  to 
locate  the  joints  at  proper  positions,  which,  generally 
spcaxing,  correspond  with  the  steel  supports  of  the 


roof,  this  will  divide  the  roof  surface  into  a  number 
of  monolithic  sections  connected  by  the  flexible  water- 
proof joints,  which  permit  free  expansion  and  relieve 
the  end  slab  of  all  stresses  incident  to  expansion  and 
contraction. 


Heavy  walls  and  piers  have  been  built  of  concrete 
for  centuries.  In  modern  construction  a  skeleton  of 
steel  bears  all  structural  strains.  Reinforced  concrete 
walls  can  be  adopted  to  advantage;  they  serve  admi- 
rably to  fill  in  the  panels  between  the  perpendicular 
and  horizontal  structural  members  of  a  high  building, 
and  when  properly  combined  with  the  structural  steel 
will  make  a  lighter  and  stronger  structure  than  can 
be  obtained  by  any  other  building  material. 

The  gain  of  floor  space  which  results  from  the  use 
of  concrete  walls  is  alone  an  advantage  which  is  suffl- 
cient  reason  for  its  adoption  in  crowded  cities.  When 
used  for  such  thin  walls  concrete  construction  must 
Fireproof  Construction.— 43 


Fig.  24. 


Concrete  Walls  and  Partitions. 


44-— The  DeMan  System  of 


be  reinforced  with  a  double  course  of  tension  mem- 
bers placed  at  right  angles  to  each  other.  The  large 
open  squares  made  by  the  crossed  tension  members 
permit  the  concrete  to  be  thoroughly  tamped  between 
sectional  moulds  used  in  building  the  walls. 

Metal  lath  can  be  fastened  to  the  tension  members 
and  concrete  applied  without  the  use  of  sectional 
moulds.  The  horizontal  tension  members  should 
pass  just  outside  the  principals  and  the  outside 
of  the  wall  will  be  a  plane  surface  and  the  prin- 
cipals protected  against  dampness  from  without. 
On  the  inner  surface  the  concrete  may  be  moulded 
around  the  angles  of  the  principals,  which  will  thus 
be  wholly  covered  and  form  buttresses  on  the  inside. 
The  vertical  tension  members  should  be  connected  to 
the  horizontal  structural  pieces  between  the  uprights. 
These  concrete  walls  form  a  strong  enclosure  and 
should  be  protected  with  an  adhesive  waterproof  coat- 
ing, but  as  they  are  thin,  it  is  necessary  to  face  them 
on  the  inside  with  some  kind  of  insulating  material  to 
resist  the  variations  of  the  outside  temperature.  If 
thorough  insulation  is  desired,  a  course  of  hollow  tile 
can  be  added  inside  to  receive  the  finishing  coat  of 
plaster.  Such  walls  will  resist  all  ordinary  lateral 
pressures,  and  they  can,  for  special  uses,  be  made  to 
sustain  any  degree  of  stress,  as  they  are  practically 
floor  slabs  set  in  a  vertical  position,  with  tension  mem- 
FiREPROOF  Construction. — 45 


bers  at  both  surfaces,  so  as  to  equally  resist  pressures 
either  from  the  inside  or  the  outside. 

These  outside  walls  may  be  veneered  with  brick  if 
desirable  for  architectural  effect.  Brick  veneer  can 
be  easily  anchored  to  the  concrete  backing,  and  if  the 
brick  and  concrete  courses  are  built  at  the  same  time 
they  will  knit  firroly  and  form  a  very  strong  facing. 

Light  inside  partition  walls  can  also  be  built  in  con- 
crete by  using  vertical  and  horizontal  tension  mem- 
bers, secured  at  the  ends  and  fastened  together  at 

their  intersections.  The  concrete  is  rammed  in  be- 
tween sectional  boards  put  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
partition,  forming  a  movable  mould  to  build  up  the 
work. 

Reinforced  Concrete  Sectional  Construction. 

In  this  class  of  construction  all  the  floor  slabs  and 
protecting  pieces  for  columns  and  beams  are  ready 
made  and  put  up  in  sections,  which  admits  of  very 
rapid  erection,  and  the  floors  can  be  used  as  fast  as 
the  slabs  are  laid,  which  can  be  done  as  soon  as  the 
floor  beams  are  in  place;  this  gives  a  working  floor 
for  subsequent  erection. 

In  some  special  cases  there  may  be  another  advan- 
tage in  this  class  of  construction — the  pieces  being 
seasoned  it  will  bring  less  dampness  in  the  building; 
the  only  fresh  material  used  being  cement  mortar  to 

46 — The  DeMan  System  of 


put  up  the  casings  around  the  beams  and  make  the 
joints  for  laying  the  floor  slabs. 

Fig.  27  is  a  reinforced  concrete  floor  slab  of  sec- 
tional construction,  showing  the  DeMan  tension  mem- 


FiG.  27. 

ber  at  the  bottom  of  the  slab  (a,  k)  and  some  aux- 
iliary twisted  wire  (L)  on  top,  the  latter  preventing 
the  slabs  from  breaking  in  transportation  when  acci- 
dentally they  are  inverted. 


Fig.  28. 

A,  floor  slab;  B,  floor  beams;  P,  protecting  pieces;  K,  iron 
straps ;  J,  protecting  piece  for  lower  flange  of  beam ;  e,  rab- 
bet forming  ledge  for  floor  slab ;  h,  hook  af  strap,  holding 
floor  slab. 


Fig.  28  is  a  concrete  beam  protection  of  sectional 
construction,  showing  when  in  position  how  the  floor 
slabs  rest  on  it.  These  beam  protectors  are  pieces  of 
Fireproof  Construction. — 47 


convenient  length  moulded  to  the  proper  form;  when 
hardened  they  are  secured  to  the  floor  beams  by  iron 
straps  which  hold  them  in  position  till  the  floor  slabs 
are  in  place.  These  straps  also  carry  the  floor  slabs. 
The  slab  can  also  be  rabbeted  on  the  edgte  so  that 
one  lays  on  the  other,  forming  lap  joints. 

The  protection  of  the  lower  flange  of  the  beam  is  a 
dovetailed  piece,  held  by  the  side  pieces;  their  butt 
joints  should  not  correspond  with  those  of  the  side 
pieces  so  as  to  have  a  break  in  the  joint. 

In  this  construction  the  top  of  the  floor  slab  corre- 
sponds with  the  top  of  the  floor  beam,  but  this  could 
be  modified  by  changing  the  depth  of  the  straps  and 
the  rabbet  at  the  upper  part  of  the  side  pieces. 


Fig.  29. 


Fig.  29  shows  a  modification  of  the  preceding 
method — the  floor  slabs  lie  on  top  of  the  beam  and 
are  rabbeted  out  at  the  bottom  so  that  they  drop 
low  enough  to  hold  the  side  protection  pieces,  which 
have  a  small  rabbet  on  the  top,  enough  to  be  locked 
in  place  when  the  floor  slab  is  in  position.  A  strap 
(S),  which  holds  the  side  pieces  in  place  until  the  floor 

48— The  DeMan  System  of 


slabs  are  laid,  is  put  at  the  bottom,  which  at  the  same 
time  can  be  used  to  lace  the  furring  channels  (F), 
which  are  to  receive  metal  lath,  to  form  a  fiat  ceiling. 

The  sides  of  the  floor  slabs  and  the  ends  of  the  pro- 
tecting pieces  of  the  beams  are  concaved  and  con- 
vexed,  as  shown  in  Fig.  29,  so  as  to  make  a  lock  joint 
when  the  pieces  are  brought  together. 


J,  protecting  block  for  column ;  K,  protecting  block  for  beam ; 
D,  metal  expansion  joint. 

Fireproof  Construction. — 49 


Fig.  30  represents  a  concrete  column  and  beam 
protection  of  sectional  construction.  The  pieces  for 
columns  are  made  so  that  four  of  them  encase  the 
column.  The  voids  between  it  and  the  column  can 
be  filled  with  fresh  concrete  when  each  tier  is  in  place. 

When  it  is  desirable  to  have  waterproof  joints  or  a 
joint  that  admits  expansion  for  beams,  this  can  be 
obtained  by  the  DeMan  expansion  joint.  In  order 
to  apply  the  joint  between  two  pieces  ready  made, 
they  should  have  the  edges  grooved  so  as  to  admit 
the  two  flanges  of  the  metal  part  of  the  joint,  which 
are  to  be  introduced  in  the  edge  grooves  previously 
filled  with  fresh  cement,  as  shown  in  Fig  31. 


Fig.  31- 

This  joint  will  prevent  the  water  used  in  fighting  a 
fire  to  reach  the  beam  or  column;  it  will  also  accom- 
modate any  expansion  that  may  take  place  without 
loosening  the  protection  casing. 

All  of  these  protecting  casings  are  made  of  Port- 
land cinder  concrete,  which  is  a  good  non-conductor 
and  resists  the  action  of  fire  and  water. 

De  Man's  Fireproof  Frame  and  Door« 

In  a  fireproof  building  where  floors,  walls  and  par- 

50 — The  DeMan  System  of 


titiori^  are  all  made  of  fireproof  materials,  the  doors 
should  also  be  fireproof,  so  that  if  the  contents  of 
one  room  take  fire  it  would  not  spread  to  adjacent 
rooms.    The  DeMan  door  will  accomplish  this  and 


Figs.  32  and  33. 
Showing  portion  of  a  fireproof  frame  and  door. 


at  the  same  time  will  match  in  appearance  any  wood 
finish  which  may  be  used  in  the  rooms. 

This  door  is  composed  of  a  core,  which  is  a  mono- 
lith slab  made  of  a  fireproof  composition  and  veneered 
with  thin  wooden  facings  which  match  the  wood  trim 
Fireproof  Con  struction.  — 5 1 


in  the  respective  rooms.  The  door  frames  are  treated 
in  a  similar  manner. 

In  case  the  contents  of  a  room  take  fire,  the  facing 
of  the  door  and  frame  may  be  destroyed  on  the  side 
of  the  room  where  the  fire  originated,  but  the  mono- 
lith fireproof  core  will  arrest  the  progress  and  will 
absolutely  prevent  the  spreading  of  the  fire. 

Semi  Fireproofing, 

The  DeMan  system  of  semi-fireproof  construction 
is  based  upon  the  general  principle  that  live  combus- 
tion cannot  take  place  when  combustible  material  is 
deprived  of  air.  Wood  is  the  principal  building  ma- 
terial which  is  to  be  protected  in  this  class  of  work. 

In  order  to  obtain  the  desired  result,  the  DeMan 
system  uses,  first,  insulated  wood;  and,  second,  an 
outside  protection. 

A  construction  of  insulated  wood  is  one  in  which 
every  piece  or  group  of  pieces  of  structural  timber  is 
insulated,  excluding  air  by  a  coating  of  some  incom- 
bustible material  surrounding  the  timber  on  all  sides, 
preventing  the  blast  of  air  necessary  to  live  combus- 
tion. It  is,  however,  essential  that  this  coating  ma- 
terial, besides  being  fireproof,  should  be  sufficiently 
porous  so  as  to  admit  of  a  slow  circulation  of  air  and 
prevent  thereby  the  possibility  of  dry  rot  in  the  tim- 
ber. Experiments  extending  over  a  period  of  several 
years  have  demonstrated  that  asbestos  paper  is  a  suit- 
able material  for  the  purpose. 
The  DeMan  System  of— 52 


An  actual  application  of  the  use  of  insulated  wood 
was  made  in  large  buildings  erected  several  years  ago, 
and  recent  alteration  in  one  of  these  buildings  has 
shown  that  the  timber  is  as  sound  as  the  day  it  was 
used.  In  this  case  a  coating  of  asbestos  paper  was 
pasted  all  over  the  surface  edges  and  ends  of  the  tim- 
ber. This  confirms  the  results  of  the  original  experi- 
ments and  proves  that  the  porosity  of  asbestos  paper 
is  sufficient  to  admit  of  a  slow  change  of  air,  and  that 
the  seasoning  of  timber  insulated  with  asbestos  paper 
can  take  place  as  if  it  were  not  so  covered. 

This  system  provides  also  for  an  outside  protection 
of  the  insulated  wood.  It  consists  of  a  coat  of  hard 
plaster  or  cement  put  on  wire  laths,  which  is  secured 
to  the  wood,  leaving  a  small  space  between  it  and  the 
asbestos  insulating  coating;  the  plaster  filling  up  this 
space  prevents  the  paper  from  being  damaged,  and  is 
of  itself  a  very  good  protection  against  fire. 

Semi-fireproofing,  to  be  effective,  should  only  be 
applied  to  constructions  which  are  of  themselves  slow 
burning.  Generally  speaking,  a  slow  burning  con- 
struction is  obtained  by  suppressing  all  the  hollows 
left  between  the  close  spaced  joists  of  the  ordinary 
construction,  widening  the  spacing  and  replacing  the 
joists  by  heavy  beams  supporting  thick  floors.  This 
is  the  method  used  in  the  well-known  mill  construc- 
FiREPROOF  Construction.— 53 


tion.  When  a  mill  construction  is  improved,  accord- 
ing to  the  r3eMan  Semi-fireproof  System,  it  be- 
comes very  resistant  to  fire.  More  recently,  slow 
burning  floors  have  been  made  of  built-up  timber, 
making  one  solid  mass,  using  2x4  or  2x6  edgewise, 
spiked  together  side  by  side,  giving  solid  floors  4"  and 
6"  thick  respectively.  They  are  very  rigid  and  can 
span  bays  from  lo-o  to  20-0  feet. 

When  a  building  has  a  structural  steel  framing  sup- 
porting a  mill  construction  floor,  or  a  built-up  timber 
floor,  the  steel  members  can  be  well  protected  by  insu- 
lated wood,  according  to  the  DeMan  system.  The 
insulated  wood  being  rigidly  secured  to  the  steel  struc- 
ture, it  does  not  depend  upon  the  floor  support  to  be 
held  in  place,  as  in  the  case  when  porous  tile  is  used 
for  protection;  besides,  in  case  of  fire,  the  insulated 
v/ood  gives  absolute  protection  against  the  streams 
of  water  thrown  on  the  heated  structure.  The  de- 
structive eflfect  of  water  thrown  on  heated  structural 
steel  is  well  known.  Insulated  wood  is  very  effective 
in  protecting  structural  steel;  it  is  not  only  rigidly 
secured  in  each  steel  member  so  that  in  case  of 
fire  it  cannot  crumble  down  by  heat  and  water,  as 
tile  casing  does;  it  cannot  blaze  up  and  be  rapidly 
destroyed  by  fire,  as  the  wood  is  deprived  from  air; 
intense  heat  can  only  carbonize  it,  and  in  that  condi- 
tion it  is  still  a  good  protection,  as  charcoal  is  one 

54 — The  DeMan  System  of 


of  the  best  non-conductors  known;  it  will  protect  the 
steel  structure  until  the  carbonization  is  pushed  to  dis- 
integration, but  this  cannot  occur  unless  the  heat  is 
intense  and  of  a  very  long  duration.  When  heavy 
timber  is  exposed  to  a  fire  and  carbonization  has 
penetrated  to  a  small  depth,  it  takes  a  long  time  after 
that  for  the  fire  to  make  further  inroads  of  destruc- 
tion. A  heavy  log  lasts  a  good  while  before  it  is  en- 
tirely consumed.  All  people  familiar  with  fires  know 
that  heavy  wooden  columns  resist  fire  very  well,  and 
it  is  only  when  they  are  broken  up  by  the  falling  debris 
that  they  consume  more  rapidly.  These  facts  were 
utilized  some  years  ago  to  protect  iron  columns  in 
warehouses.  The  iron  had  a  cross-shape  section, 
having  four  quarter-circle  spaces  between  the  ribs 
of  the  cross  shown  in  the  diagram,  Fig.  35. 


Fig.  35. 


These  spaces  were  filled  with  four  pieces  of  quarter 
cylindrical  wood  pieces,  protecting  the  iron.  This 
made  a  good  fire  resisting  column,  but  it  would  make 
a  far  better  one  if  each  of  those  four  pieces  were  insu- 
lated by  the  DeMan  System. 
Fireproof  Construction. — 55 


Semi-Fireproof  "  Built-Up  Timber  Con» 
struction." 

This  is  composed  of  solid,  built-up  timber  floors, 
insulated  by  completely  inclosing  the  timber  in  asbes- 
tos paper  and  protecting  the  structural  steel  skeleton 


Fig.  36. 

Key  to  Fig.  36. — A,  beams ;  B,  columns ;  H,  built-up  floor,  2x6 
timber ;  D^  asbestos  paper,  used  for  insulation ;  E,  insu- 
lated plank  for  protection  of  columns  and  beams ;  F,  metal 
furring  and  lath ;  G,  plastering ;  N,  finished  floor. 

56 — The  DeMan  System  of 


by  using  wood  covered  with  asbestos  paper,  and  plas- 
tering on  metal  lath. 

The  preceding  diagram  gives  an  illustration  of  the 
above  mentioned  methods,  appHed  to  a  modern  build- 
ing having  a  structural  steel  skeleton  with  outside 
brick  walls.  The  columns  are  spaced  twenty  feet 
apart  and  connected  with  I  beams;  the  outside  col- 
umns are  built  in  brick  walls,  the  beams  supporting 
solid  built-up  timber  floors,  made  of  2x6,  spiked  to- 
gether edgewise,  which  spans  the  20' — o"  bays. 

The  wooden  floor,  being  a  mass  of  solid  timber,  is 
of  itself  slow  burning,  and  to  apply  the  DeMan  Sys- 
tem for  still  further  retarding  the  cobustion  by  insu- 
lation, the  following  method  is  used: 

To  start  making  the  floor  put  a  strip  of  asbestos 
paper  on  the  outside  of  the  first  piece  wide  enough 
to  project  one  inch  above  and  below  the  floor;  do 
the  same  at  the  end;  spike  in  succession  about  six 
pieces,  only  taking  care  of  the  ends  of  the  pieces  at 
the  wall  so  the  asbestos  keeps  the  same  position;  then 
between  the  sixth  and  seventh  piece  insert  a  separa- 
tor of  asbestos  paper,  cut  about  2"  wider  than  the 
thickness  of  the  floor,  taking  care  while  inserting  it 
that  one  inch  of  the  paper  projects  above  and  below 
the  floor.  Keep  on  doing  the  same  till  the  floor  is 
completed,  then  cover  the  whole  top  surface  with  as- 
bestos, folding  down  all  the  projecting  edges  of  the 
Fireproof  Construction. — 57 


separators  and  the  ends  at  the  wall;  hold  the  sheeting 
of  asbestos  down  with  wooden  strips,  ^"x2",  spaced 
about  i6"  centers,  and  running  crosswise  of  the  joints 
between  the  2"x6"  forming  the  floor.  The  space  be- 
tween the  strips  is  to  be  filled  with  common  concrete 
on  top  of  the  asbestos  paper  before  laying  the  finished 
floor  surfacing.  The  under  side  of  the  floor  is  also 
to  receive  a  coat  of  asbestos  paper,  which  can  be 
pasted  on  with  common  paper  hanging  paste.  Metal 


finidhed  Floor 


Fig.  37. 


furring  strips  of  V  shape  are  nailed  under  the  floor, 
pressing  the  paper  to  the  ceiling.  Metal  lath,  secured 
with  long  staples,  is  put  over  the  furring  and  is  to 
receive  a  coat  of  hard  plaster,  the  clinches  of  which 
fill  up  the  space  between  the  lath  and  the  asbestos 
paper. 

This  arrangement  divides  the  mass  of  wooden 
pieces,  forming  the  floor  into  groups,  each 
one  of  which  is  independently  insulated  by  the  asbes- 
tos paper,  excluding  the  air  necessary  for  active  com- 
bustion. The  upper  and  lower  coat  of  mortar  prevent 
any  damage  to  the  asbestos  paper  and  assists  also  in 

58— The  DeMan  System  of 


Jefferson  Apartment,  Detroit,  Mich.-  l)t. Man  sl mi-rireproof  rioor 
connection,  partitions  and  doors. 


limiting  the  action  of  heat  upon  the  wood.  All  as 
shown  in  Fig.  37. 

The  steel  beams  are  protected  against  fire  by  a  box- 
ing of  insulated  plank. 

These  planks  are  fitted  in  place  so  as  to  form  a  tight 
box  with  close-fitting  joints  at  the  ends,  then  taken 
down  and  each  piece  independently  insulated  by  hav- 


ing asbestos  paper  pasted  on  all  faces,  edges  and  ends. 
The  side  pieces  are  secured  by  bolts  going  through 
the  beam;  at  the  boltholes  separators  in  insulated 
wood  are  put  between  the  web  of  the  beam  and  the 
insulated  boxing  so  that  the  pressure  of  the  bolt  would 
not  split  the  side  pieces.  The  bottom  piece  of  the 
beam  protection  previously  insulated  is  spiked  to  the 
bottom  edge  of  the  side  pieces.  Then  the  metal  fur- 
ring is  put  on  the  beam,  as  shown  in  end  section,  and 
metal  lath  is  stapled  over  them,  which  is  to  receive 

the  hard  plaster. 

Fireproof  Construction. — 61 


Fig.  38. 


The  columns  are  also  boxed  in  with  insulated  plank- 
ing. 

Each  plank  previously  fitted  into  place  is  inde- 
pendently insulated  by  having  asbestos  paper  pasted 
all  over  the  faces  and  ends,  then  they  are  spiked  to- 
gether to  form  a  base  around  the  column;  the  latter, 


however,  has  insulated  blocks  driven  in  between  the 
flanges  of  the  Z  bars,  which  acts  as  flue  stopper  and 
to  which  the  planks  are  also  spiked.  The  column  cov- 
erings are  ribbed  up  with  V-shaped  metal  furring 
strips  and  covered  with  metal  lath  and  plaster,  the 
same  as  the  beams.   All  as  in  Fig.  39. 

This  protection  for  columns  and  beams  is  well 
adapted  in  connection  with  the  wooden  floor  construe- 


 7.  bar  Cohmo 

—  ..  hetal  Lath 
 h^u/dCed  Wood phnk 


fosaldted  Wood 'Sepdrdtor 


Cola  mo 


Fig.  39. 


6z—Tm  DeMan  System  op 


tion,  as  described,  and  the  whole  is  as  near  fireproof 
as  any  wooden  construction  can  be  made. 

DeMan's  Semi»Fireproof  Frames  and  Doors, 

In  semi-fireproof  buildings,  when  it  is  advisable  to 
prevent  incipient  fire  originating  in  one  room  to 
spread  rapidly  to  another,  the  DeMan  frame  and  door 
described  below  will  accomplish  the  desired  result. 

This  frame  and  door  have  fire-resisting  cores  of  in- 
sulated wood;  they  are  either  covered  by  a  metal 
sheeting  or  they  are  insulated  by  a  coat  of  asbestos 
paper  pasted  all  over  these  cores,  so  as  to  exclude  the 
necessary  air  for  combustion.  Practical  tests  have 
demonstrated  that  the  asbestos  covering  is  entirely 
sufficient  to  resist  the  fire  long  enough  for  all  prac- 
tical purposes,  especially  in  a  building  which  is  only 
semi-fireproof.  These  insulated  cores  are  faced  up 
with  wooden  veneers,  which  match  the  finish  of  the 
rooms  where  the  doors  are  intended  to  be  used;  these 
facings  would  burn  down  to  the  insulated  core  at  the 
side  of  the  room  where  the  fire  originated,  but  active 
combustion  would  stop  right  there,  and  if  the  fire  in 
the  room  is  kept  on  long  enough,  the  cores  might 
carbonize;  but  it  would  require  an  intense  heat  and 
of  such  a  duration  that  other  parts  of  the  building 
would  be  destroyed  before  the  fire  could  spread 
through  the  door. 
Fireproof  Construction. — 63 


The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the  several  parts 
of  the  frame  and  door: 


Figs.  40  and  41. 

A    Fireproof  Wall. 
B'  B"   Insulated  Cores  of  Frame. 

D   Facing  of  Frame  forming  Rabbet. 

r  Threshold. 

G   Extension  Jamb. 

H  Trim. 

J    Wood  Facings  of  Door. 
K   Edge  Strips  of  Door. 
M  Floor. 

N   Fire-Proof  Filling  between  1  nsulated  Core  and  Fire-Proof  Wall. 

64 — The  DeMan  System  of 


Ferguson  Building,  Detroit,  Mich.— DeMan  semi-fireproof  floor  construc- 
tion and  fireproof  metallic  partitions  throughout,  also  column 
and  beam  protection  as  shown  in  Fig.  36. 


Metal  and  Mortar  Partitions,  De  Man*s 
System, 

Single  Partitions. 

These  partitions  are  built  with  sheet  metal  studs, 
gauge  24  steel,  folded  in  V  form;  the  connections  at 
door  lintels  and  at  ends  are  as  shown  on  diagram  No. 
I,  also  the  ends  for  fastening  at  top  and  bottom,  which 
are  nailed  through  the  flaps;  metal  lath  is  faced  on 
the  flange  side  of  the  stud  and  plastered  with  hard 
mortar  on  two  sides,  making  a  solid  mortar  partition 
of  If"  to  2"  thick. 

Hollow  partition  can  also  be  obtained  with  single 
studs  by  putting  metal  lath  on  the  two  opposite  sides 
of  the  studding",  as  shown  on  diagram  No.  I.  The 
door  jambs,  which  can  be  insulated  with  asbestos 
paper,  and  the  way  to  put  on  grounds  is  also  shown. 

Double  Metallic  Mortar  Partition. 

These  partitions  are  built  with  the  same  sheet  metal 
studs  as  described  for  the  single  partitions,  using  two 
studs  connected  with  sheet  or  metal  clips,  shown  in 
Fig.  43,  which  engages  the  flanges  of  the  studs,  using 
these  clips  in  pairs,  and  about  16"  from  one  to  the 
other  a  double  stud  is  formed,  and  the  width  of  this 
double  stud  is  regulated  by  the  length  of  the  clip,  of 
which  there  are  several  sizes,  according  to  the  thick- 
ness of  the  partition. 
Fireproof  Construction.— 67 


A.  De  Mann's 
rmc-fncMif  MtTALuic  p/SRTmoHO: 

OWOLtTv^TrVD  HVPTTTJOA* 

No.1. 


Studs  at  openings  are  to  be  doubled,  which  takes 
four  single  at  each  jamb,  and  grouped  together  so  as 
to  form  a  regular  truss,  as  shown  in  diagram  No.  2. 


Fig.  42. 


There  are  also  stiffening  trusses  running  horizontally 
and  braced  on  top  of  a  row  of  clips;  they  are  shown 
at  B,  which  also  shows  the  way  to  fasten  the  grounds 
by  driving  a  nail  through  the  ground  into  the  fold 
of  the  horizontal  rib,  which  is  the  same  shape  as  the 
single  stud.  Metal  lath  and  plaster  on  two  sides 
form  a  double  partition. 
Fireproof  Construction. — 69 


riWC-PnOQF  METAULIC  PARTITIONS 

^  I>RA,WLNCr  roT*. 

Dcudixv3tud  Partiticw. 

^No.2. 


70— The  DeMan  System  of 


Triple  Metal  and  Mortar  Partition. 

This  partition  is  more  sound  proof  than  the  ones 
described  before.  It  has  one  center  web,  forming  two 
air  spaces;  they  are  built  with  the  same  studs  as  de- 
scribed for  the  preceding  partitions,  only  the  clips 
are  of  different  shape,  as  shown  in  diagram  No.  3; 
this  diagram  gives  a  combined  elevation  of  a  triplet 
partition  under  a  beam  of  a  solid  build  of  wooden 
floor  construction.  There  are  two  rows  of  studs  alter- 
nating, as  shown  in  the  plan.  One  row  is  put  up  first 
with  the  loop  clips  turned  towards  the  center  of  the 
partition  and  metal  lath  is  fastened  to  the  back  of  the 
loop  clips,  then  the  second  row  of  studs  is  put  in 
position,  with  the  loop  clips  touching  the  center 
curves  of  metal  loops,  and  are  secured  thereto.  Then 
a  coat  of  plaster  is  put  on  the  two  sides  of  the  center 
web  of  metal  lath,  and  when  this  is  sufficiently  set 
then  the  two  outside  courses  of  metal  lath  are  put  in 
place  and  plastered,  which  forms  a  partition  with  two 
air  spaces,  and  is  very  sound  proof,  the  loop  clips 
taking  all  the  vibrations  and  the  studs  being  alter- 
nated, each  row  can  only  be  affected  by  the  vibrations 
of  its  own  side. 


Fireproof  Con struction.— 7 1 


to 


72 — The  DeMan  System  of 


SOME  TESTIMONIALS 


Detroit,  Mich.,  April  15,  1901. 

I  have  used  your  system  of  floor  construction  in  the  Detroit 
Opera  House  and  Wonderland  Theaters  of  this  city,  and  con- 
sider it  a  first-class  system  in  every  respect,  and  I  can  cheer- 
fully recommend  it  as  especially  adapted  to  this  class  of  work. 
It  is  very  simple  in  construction,  and  it  is  my  opinion  that  it 
is  one  of  the  best  of  the  cinder  concrete  systems,  and  should 
recommend  itself  to  any  one  desiring  a  first-class  fireproof 
floor.  I  greatly  prefer  these  systems  to  the  old  hollow  tile 
system  for  many  important  reasons.  I  consider  them  vastly 
better  in  their  fireproof  qualities  to  the  old  systems. 

I  trust  that  you  may  be  successful  in  the  introduction  of 
your  system,  as  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  be  if  its  advantage 
is  carefully  considered  by  those  contemplating  the  erection  of 
a  fireproof  building.  Sincerely  yours, 

J.  M.  Wood. 

Detroit,  Mich.,  April  13,  1901. 
We  are  pleased  to  state  that  the  fireproof  partition  erected 
in  our  Central  High  School  Building  by  your  method,  some 
years  ago,  also  the  doors  of  your  construction  used  there  and 
elsewhere  by  us,  have  proven  satisfactory  as  regards  wear 
and  tear,  and  from  information  and  testimony  as  to  their  effi- 
ciency in  regard  to  fire  protection  we  have  no  doubt  that, 
should  occasion  arise,  they  will  perform  the  service  for  which 
they  were  calculated. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

MaLCOMSON  &  HiGGINBOTHAM. 


Queens,  May  24,  1901. 

To  whom  it  may  concern: — 

This  is  to  certify  that  the  cement  benches  constructed  by 
A.  DeMan  have  stood  all  tests  for  two  years,  and  have  proved 
satisfactory.  C.  W.  Ward.  ^ 

Fireproof  Construction.— 73 


Detroit,  Mich.,  April  12,  1901. 

To  whom  it  may  concern  : — 

This  is  to  certify  that  the  DeMan  system  of  reinforced  con- 
crete construction  has  been  used  with  satisfactory  results  in 
the  Davis  Bridge  and  Belvidere  erected  from  our  designs  and 
under  our  superintendence  in  Water  Works  Park,  Detroit, 
Mich.  Respectfully, 

Donaldson  &  Meier. 


Detroit,  Mich.,  April  12,  1901. 
The  fireproof  floors  built  by  you  in  Berry  Brothers',  Lim- 
ited,  factory  have  proven  very  satisfactory.  The  pressroom 
floor  in  the  Detroit  Free  Press  Building,  also  of  the  same 
construction,  was  loaded  with  rolls  of  paper,  two,  and  in  some 
places  three,  rolls  high,  each  roll  weighing  750  pounds,  five 
days  after  the  floor  was  completed.  They  are  comparatively 
light,  and  of  almost  unlimited  strength.  In  fact,  I  have 
found  that  there  is  no  use  to  which  floors  may  be  put  that 
these  would  not  have  sufficient  strength,  both  for  the  usual 
and  unusual  span.  I  consider  the  system  one  which  can  be 
practically  and  expeditiously  put  into  any  building. 

Very  respectfully, 

Geo.  D.  Mason. 


Detroit,  Mich.,  April  11,  1901. 
Your  twisted  steel  and  cement  construction  forming  the 
roof  of  our  feeder  pit,  and  simultaneously  forming  the  side- 
walk in  front  of  our  building,  has  been  in  service  now  for  two 
years  and  a  half.  It  has  proved  amply  strong  under  extra- 
ordinary stresses,  including  the  moving  over  it  of  heavy  en- 
gine and  dynamo  frames.  There  is  not  a  crack  nor  flaw  of 
any  kind,  and  it  remains  absolutely  waterproof. 

Yours  truly. 
The  Edison  Illuminating  Company. 

Alex.  Dow,  Gen'l  Mgr. 

74 — The  DeMan  System  of 


Detroit,  April  i6,  1901. 

We  have  used  your  semi-fireproof  system  for  protection  of 
columns  and  entire  steel  frame  of  six-story  building  erected 
by  us  in  this  city  for  the  E.  Ferguson  estate,  and  believe  it 
to  be  well  adapted  to  buildings  of  this  class,  with  floors  of 
mill  construction,  as  it  is  rigidly  secured  to  steelwork  and 
does  not  require  any  other  support,  and  at  the  same  time  is 
an  excellent  protection  against  fire  and  water. 

We  also  installed  in  this  building  a  considerable  amount  of 
your  4"  and  6"  mortar  and  metallic  partitions,  from  12'  o" 
to  18'  o"  in  height. 

This  work  was  done  about  five  years  ago,  and  recent  altera- 
tions in  the  building  have  disclosed  the  fact  that  the  insulated 
wood  protection  is  sound  and  in  perfect  condition. 

Yours,  etc., 

M.  L.  Smith  &  Son. 


Detroit,  Mich,  April  6,  1901. 
Your  methods  of  fireproofing,  especially  the  fire-doors,  have 
been  used  in  several  buildings  erected  under  my  supervision, 
and  I  must  say  that  they  have  been  effective  and  gave  very 
good  satisfaction.  Very  truly  yours, 

R.  E.  Raseman. 


Detroit,  Mich.,  June  13,  1896. 
A.  D eMail,  Esq.,  Detroit,  Mich.: 

Dear  Sir — I  have  witnessed  a  test  of  your  fireproof  door 
made  on  a  core  insulated  with  tin,  covered  with  wood  facings 
to  match  the  wood  of  any  room.  The  door  stood  the  fire  of  a 
furnace  for  over  two  hours.  I  can  fully  recommend  the  fire- 
resisting  qualities  of  your  doors  as  being  equal  to  the  regulation 
fireproof  doors.  Yours  truly, 

James  R.  Elliott, 

Chief  of  the  Department. 

Fireproof  Construction.  — 77 


Detroit,  Mich.,  April  13,  1901. 

To  zvhom  it  may  concern: — 

This  is  to  certify  that  we  have  used  the  semi-fireproofing 
system  of  Mr.  A.  DeMan  in  a  six-story  flat  building  erected 
under  our  charge  in  1895,  and  that  we  felt  (and  still  feel) 
satisfied,  after  elaborate  tests  made  at  the  time,  that  the  sys- 
tem will  retard  the  progress  of  a  fire  very  materially  at  least, 
if  it  will  not  prohibit  the  burning  of  the  protected  parts  of 
the  building  altogether.  Recently  we  had  occasion  to  make 
use  of  Mr.  A.  DeMan's  fireproof  floor  or  roof  construction, 
which  was  executed  under  his  personal  supervision.  We  can 
conscientiously  recommend  the  same,  and  we  are  glad  to 
state  that  the  work  done  by  him,  both  in  the  roof  and  in  the 
cement  flooring,  has  been  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  owners, 
as  well  as  to  us.  Respectfully, 

Spier  &  Rohns. 


Detroit,  Mich.,  June  13,  1896. 
A,  DeMan,  Esq.,  Detroit,  Mich.: 

Dear  Sir — The  writer  has  witnessed  several  tests  of  the  fire- 
resisting  doors,  having  inner  section  protected  with  asbestos 
paper,  made  under  your  patent,  and  while  the  endurance  of 
these  is  not  as  great  as  that  of  the  standard  metal-clad  doors 
recommended  by  this  bureau,  for  use  in  warehouses  and  mer- 
cantile or  manufacturing  buildings,  yet  their  merits  were  so 
satisfactory  that  we  would  be  willing  to  accept  these  doors 
for  use  in  covering  openings  in  walls  dividing  dwellings  and 
apartment  houses  of  ordinary  construction  as  a  substitute  for 
the  metal-clad  doors  now  required.  Where  metal  is  used  for 
covering  for  the  inner  sections,  as  is  proposed  for  your  ware- 
house doors,  we  would  regard  them  as  equal  with  the  standard 
fire  door  we  now  recommend. 

Yours  truly, 

E.  F.  Chapman, 
Inspector. 

78— The  DeMan  System  of 


Di:  MAN'S 
Block  Floor  Construction 

is  lighter  than  any  other;  gives  a  flat  floor  and  ceiling  surface  ; 
protects  the  floor  beams  on  all  sides ;  does  not  exert  any  side 
thrust  on  the  floor  beams;  and  makes  a  completely  sound=proof 
floor  because  of  the  dead  air  spaces  formed  between  the  blocks. 

It  does  not  require  any  false  work,  as  the  blocks  reach 
from  floor  beam  to  floor  beam,  and  are  ready  to  carry  the 
full  load  as  soon  as  they  are  in  place. 

They  require  no  special  expert  labor  to  place  them,  as 
they  are  "set"  and  ready  for  immediate  use.  They  can  be 
made  to  suit  any  size  of  beam,  and  by  regulating  the  strength 
of  tension  member  and  the  thickness  of  the  top  flange  can 
be  made  to  carry  any  given  load. 

This  floor  construction  is  illustrated  on  the  other  side :  Fig. 
I  representing  a  sectional  side  view;  Fig.  II  a  plan;  Fig.  Ill  a 
horizontal  section ;  Fig.  IV  a  perspective  view ;  Fig.  V  a  cross 
section;  and  Fig.  VI  a  part  of  the  end  of  the  block,  showing  in 
perspective  the  filling-in  piece  which  protects  the  lower  flange  of 
the  floor  beam.  These  blocks  can  be  made  of  any  suitable 
material,  preferably  of  re-enforced  cinder  concrete,  on  account  of 
its  durability,  lightness  and  fireproof  qualities. 

The  floor  is  formed  by  blocks  placed  side  by  side,  each  block 
reaching  from  one  steel  floor  beam  to  the  adjoining  one,  covering 
the  whole  bays  between  succeeding  floor  beams. 

The  blocks  have  end  lugs  engaging  the  floor  beams  resting 
on  the  lower  flanges  which  carry  the  blocks  and  the  load.  The 
cross  section  of  each  block  has  the  general  form  of  an  I 
beam,  giving  the  greater  strength  with  a  minimum  of  material. 
The  end  lugs  are  in  line  with  the  web,  but  are  thicker.  The 
lugs  project  out  from  cross  webs  which,  when  the  blocks  are  in 
place,  correspond  vertically  with  the  edges  of  the  flanges  of 
the  I  beam.  These  cross  webs  form  dead  air  spaces  at  the 
sides  of  the  steel  floor  beams;  the  upper  flanges  of  the  blocks 
form  the  floor  and  the  lower  flanges  form  the  ceiling.  The  latter 
drop  below  the  bottom  flange  of  the  beam  and  are  beveled  at 
the  end,  forming  a  dovetailed  space  under  the  bottom  flange 
which  is  to  receive  a  filling  piece  protecting  the  bottom  flange 
of  the  floor  beam. 

To  put  the  blocks  in  place  a  small  movable  platform  can 
be  used  suspended  from  the  floor  beams  with  iron  hooks.  This 
platform  facilitates  the  work,  and  as  it  slides  along  the  beams 
the  work  can  be  done  very  rapidly. 

When  the  spans  are  wide  and  consequently  the  blocks  longer 
than  usual  it  may  be  advantageous  to  use  a  metal  tripod  or  light 
derrick  to  handle  the  blocks  by  lifting  them  by  the  wire  hooks 
in  the  countersunk  holes  on  the  top  flange. 


Cftv\tvw\.^  "i^twwui,  ^Vae^ 


Detroit,  Mich.,  June  15,  1896. 

A.  DeMan,  Esq.: 

On  June  6  I  witnessed  an  experiment  with  your  wood-faced 
fireproof  door,  made  up  of  an  asbestos  insulated  core  with  panel 
facings  on  each  side.  This  door  stood  the  fire  under  a  fifty- 
horse  power  boiler  for  over  an  hour.  I  consider  doors  of  this 
character  fully  capable  of  resisting  fire  of  almost  any  degree  of 
heat,  and  have  no  hesitation  in  commending  their  general  use 
in  buildings.  Respectfully, 

Wm.  H.  Baxter, 
Fire  Marshal. 


Detroit,  Mich.,  April  10,  1901. 
We  take  pleasure  in  stating,  for  whom  it  may  concern,  that 
we  have  adopted  your  system  of  reinforced  concrete  for  the 
floors  of  our  brewery.  The  building  was  erected  in  1897,  and 
your  patent  construction  has  given  us  entire  satisfaction  up 
to  date.  They  carry  very  heavy  loads  and  resist  the  strain 
very  well,  in  spite  of  the  disintegrating  action  of  the  constant 
streams  of  water  running  on  it. 

Since  the  time  we  have  used  your  floor  we  never  experi- 
enced any  trouble  with  that  part  of  the  building.  We  can 
cheerfully  recommend  your  construction  to  any  one  who 
wants  a  clear,  strong  and  durable  floor. 

Yours  truly, 

F.  Brogniez, 

Vice-Pres.  and  Mgr. 


April  15,  1901. 

To  whom  it  may  concern: — 

I  have  t^s.e.d  the  DeMan  System  Floor  Construction  in  sev- 
eral buildings  jail d;Viite^5/^^^  giveli  2eKfirl*sGfi6*Yacfi6h*. 

 •••£.V.**SCHiLBINV  • 

Architect. 

Fireproof  CoNSTRU(rric^^C-4-i9. 


•  •  • 


*>  •  t  •  •  •  •• 
•    •  •••••« 

•••••o        •  ••• 


Detroit,  Mich.,  April  13,  1901. 
The  sidewalk  which  you  laid  for  us  last  summer,  using  your 
patent  bars,  has  proved,  after  a  winter's  hard  usage,  exceed- 
ingly satisfactory,  and  we  take  pleasure  in  saying  that  when 
we  have  another  piece  of  similar  work  we  will  be  very  glad 
to  use  your  bars  again. 
We  can  recommend  it  most  highly. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Rogers  &  MacFarlane. 


Detroit,  Mich.,  April  13,  1901. 
Your  patent  floor  construction,  which  I  have  specified  for 
brewery  work,  has  given  satisfaction  and  has  not  shown  any 
weakness  or  defects.  Respectfully  yours, 

Louis  Kamper. 


Detroit,  Mich.,  April  18,  1901. 
It  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  recommend  your  wire-lath 
partition.   We  have  used  it  in  making  some  alterations  in  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  Building,  this  city,  of  which  we  have 
charge,  and  found  it  satisfactory  in  every  respect. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Homer  Warren  &  Co. 


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